Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday described the BJP-led Centre's "attempt to block" actor-turned politician Vijay's upcoming release Jana Nayagan as an "attack on the Tamil culture."
In a post on X, Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not succeed in "suppressing the voice of the Tamil people."
"The I&B Ministry's attempt to block Jana Nayagan is an attack on Tamil culture. Mr Modi, you will never succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people," Gandhi said.
The Congress leader's remarks came a day after the producer of the movie, KVN Productions LLP, approached the Supreme Court, challenging an interim order of the Madras High Court that stayed a single-judge direction to grant CBFC clearance to the movie.
Madras HC on January 9, stayed a single judge's order directing the CBFC to immediately grant a censor certificate to Jana Nayagan, which has been widely publicised as Vijay's final film before the veteran actor's full-fledged entry into politics.
The film was slated for a Pongal release on January 9.
However, the film ran into last-minute hurdles after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) did not issue certification in time.
On January 9, the division bench's order came hours after Justice PT Asha directed the CBFC to give clearance to Jana Nayagan, setting aside the film board's directive to refer the matter to a review committee.
The first bench, comprising Chief Justice M M Shrivastava and G Arul Murugan, on an appeal filed by the CBFC, granted an interim stay against the single judge's verdict.
Earlier, allowing the plea of KVN Productions seeking a direction to CBFC to issue a censor certificate, Justice Asha said once the board had decided to grant the certificate, the chairperson had no power to send the matter to the review committee.
The film board immediately preferred an appeal against the order.
Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared through video conferencing, outlined the grounds for the appeal before the division bench.
The January 6 letter of CBFC, which was communicated to the producer of the film, informing him that the matter was referred to the revising committee, was not at all under challenge.
But the single judge set aside the letter and gave the above direction.
In its order, the division bench said the petition was filed on January 6, and the CBFC was not granted sufficient opportunity to file its reply.
There shall be a stay, the bench added and ordered notice to the producer of the movie and posted the matter to January 21.
(With inputs from PTI)